village artwork
Ateanha visits the Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre
The collective work “Banco da Amizade”, conceived by the community of Ateanha, took as its starting point the sculpture “O Banco de David”, by the artist Susanne Paucker, from the Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha (Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre). It had such an impact on the community that the inhabitants did not want it to return to the museum. So the participants set out to create a new bench of their own. Mediated by the SAMP team, the group visited the highest point of the village to select the stones whose geometry served to define the shape of their collective work. The construction of this bench also relied on friends from outside the village through the support of a specialised team that carried out the 3D scanning of the stones, developed the technical design and was responsible for printing them in concrete, revealing the truly community-based and innovative process behind this creation. The participants had the opportunity to learn on-site about the technology that materialised their creative ideas.
Friendship Bench
Ateanha, Portugal, 2022
85 x 218 x 105 cm
3D printed concrete bench
This work is a collective creation made by the community of Ateanha (Ansião) as part of the ‘Museu na Aldeia’ project
Celestina Dias | Daniel de Sá | José Silva Amorim | Juvenal da Paz | Leonilde Simões |
Licínio Mendes | Manuel Dias | Maria Águeda Luís | Maria da Anunciação Amorim |
Maria Olaia Dias | Olinda Rosa Santos
Technical support: SAMP, CDRSP – Centro para o Desenvolvimento
Rápido e Sustentável do Produto, Arquiteto Luís Monteiro Ferreira,
Mendesinov e AMCubed
Ateanha
Parish Council of Alvorge, Municipality of Ansião
The village of Ateanha, with just over thirty inhabitants, has been inhabited since the Roman period. With rural and mountainous characteristics, one can identify the stony consistency of the terrain along the pedestrian route of the village, in addition to various spaces that are a true viewpoint for stunning landscapes. The chapel – the former Igreja Matriz da Paróquia de São Martinho (Main Church of the Parish of St. Martin) – is built on top of Ateanha. Inside, it has a 15th century limestone sculpture in honour of the patron saint St. Martin of Tours. Community wells can be found in the village, such as the Fonte dos Mouros and Poço Carril, as well as a lagoon used for washing, irrigating agricultural land and watering animals.
The artwork that visited the Village
Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre goes to Ateanha
Around three tonnes of marble sculpture was on display at the entrance to the village of Ateanha, in the municipality of Ansião. The work temporarily provided by the Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre invited the community and visitors to share unique moments while contemplating the beauty of the local landscape.
Meetings and sharing
The Community welcomes an artwork from the Museum, inviting it into the heart of their village. This object becomes a catalyst, inspiring museum professionals and the artistic team to engage participants in a collaborative process. Together, they establish connections between the museum artwork, its reflection, and its ties to local heritage. Using local elements such as objects, songs, stories, and traditions, participants craft their own artwork. The celebration reaches its peak with the inauguration of a temporary exhibition in the museum. An artistic performance fosters connections among communities and museum professionals, strengthening bonds between them.
And so it was…Art as an invitation for encounters and connections.